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Saturday, November 13, 2010

Schnappers Hots, Oh Boy!

So far I've recommended The Lazy Flamingo and The Island Cow for fresh seafood eats and local Island fun. Both are quality restaurants to visit if you happen to spend any time on Sanibel. As far as must eats go, Schnapper's Hots makes the top of my list. What I'm saying is, if you miss all the rest, or if you choose other restaurants to dine out at, do not bypass this gem of a hot dog stand. Located on the main strip amongst all the rest at 1528 Periwinkle Way, Schnapper's boasts a front porch painted in the familiar island pastels of yellow, pink, blue and green, with a contrastingly bright yellow awning. You can't miss it. (No really, you.can't.) A plethora of options await you inside and they claim to have the Islands best pizza. I looked no further than the hot dog menu. (Specialty dogs are in abundance, do not be fooled by the below three.)I've never been to Chicago, but am a huge fan of Chicago Dogs. Go figure. Right away I decided on "The Capone" ($4.50). The rest of the group decides their fate.

I appreciated the sarcastic humor as displayed in a "Same Day Service" sign. They also proudly display index survey cards with customer comments. (Where they're from, what they ate, what they thought.) Hopefully mine made it up, with the blog address of course!Adam and Mike await their dogs.Adam got his favorite combo - sauerkraut, mustard and onion. (I think this one had a fun name, but it escapes me.)

"The Capone"

Oh.my.goodness. Best hot dog I've had in my life, hands down. (Sorry Fenway Franks. But you just can't get this in the ballpark.) Schnapper's serves a quality char-grilled dog and then loads it with the freshest ingredients of your (or their) choosing.The cold crunchy cucumbers and soft juicy tomato slices are in brilliant contrast with the warmness of the char-grilled dog. Freshly diced onions and a smother of relish provide a welcome dose of sweetness. The potent mustard and the incredibly spicy-hot sport peppers pack a final punch. All this goodness is barely contained in a soft chewy bun.

Happy satisfied customers:Oh Boy! is right. If that hot dog isn't heaven on an island already deemed heaven on earth, I don't know what is.